1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to baggage and security tags or labels for use, for example, in ensuring that aircraft security is enhanced by being able quickly and reliably to relate specific items of baggage actually loaded to the appropriate owner passengers who have been checked-in and manifested to travel on the aircraft, and/or to identify baggage belonging to manifested but non-embarked passengers. The invention is also applicable to other situations where it is important that a specific quantity of items in a given location precisely relate to either persons or articles, generally in a different location.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
Of recent years security has been a matter of prime concern to airline operators and one aspect of this security is to ensure that all accepted and/or loaded items of hold-baggage are precisely related to the appropriate owner passengers actually assembled for embarkation or who are on board an aircraft. If, for example, the number of passengers actually present on board the aircraft prior to take-off is less than the number of passengers manifested, there is a substantial risk that a passenger has checked in one or more items of baggage but has not actually boarded the aircraft. This gives rise to an immediate suspicion that the "passenger" is a terrorist and it is therefore desirable to be able to check prior to take-off whether or not an adverse security situation has arisen. Obviously, any such checking must be carried out extremely rapidly within the constraints of airline timetables and avoidance of irritation to passengers for additional delays. Such checking is substantially simplified with certain aircraft now in service, in which items of baggage are not loaded into the baggage hold on an item by item basis but are aggregated by common destination airport into special containers.
While the need for security is paramount in aircraft operations, the invention is also applicable to other situations where a corroborative check needs to be made to ensure that the specific articles in one location precisely conform to validated expectations.
It has already been proposed in GB-A-2151205 to provide an airline baggage label a pat of which is capable of being formed into a loop and other parts of which have operational functions for the airline using the labels. The individual parts are so adhered together that when separated no litter is created.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an airline baggage label which enables an additional security check of baggage to be carried out quickly while, at the same time, avoid the generation of any litter when the label is broken down to its constituent parts.
It is a further object to provide an airline baggage label of some complexity which can nevertheless be put into use very rapidly at airport check-in stations.